This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scotland to help Malawi teach its children
25/05/2005
Scotland is set to support Malawi in its drive to train more teachers, the First Minister Jack McConnell said today.
Malawi introduced free universal primary education nine years ago, but a shortage of properly trained teachers means the system struggles to cope. There is only one qualified teacher for every 95 pupils compared to one for every 14.6 pupil in Scotland.
The First Minister is to meet senior representatives of Scotland's teacher training colleges immediately on his return from Malawi to explore how Scotland can help Malawi train more, and better qualified, teachers.
Speaking after a visit to the Henry Henderson Institute Primary School in Blantyre:
"Teachers in Malawi face many challenges. They work in very difficult conditions, with very few resources - often a classroom has no desks or even books. Despite these huge challenges both teachers and children have an incredible spirit and hope for the future.
"The children want to learn and the teachers want to teach. Scotland has an opportunity and a responsibility to help them. There is no reason why an accident of birth should mean that the children of Malawi have fewer chances than the children of Scotland."
During his visit Mr McConnell met many of the school's 1200 pupils, and he told them that a consignment of school books from Scotland would arrive at their school later this year.
The books are a gift from the Malawi Millennium Project, a partnership between the University of Strathclyde, Bell College and the University of Malawi).
Malawi's population is estimated to reach 12.9 million in 2005 (UN population division), and nearly half the population is under 15 with less than 3 per cent over 65 years.
The Malawi government introduced free universal education in 1994, but the last World Bank country assistance strategy reported that only one in three children complete five years of education.
The Malawi government estimates the country is short of 18,000 teachers to reach its target of one teacher for every 60 pupils. There are five teacher training colleges in Malawi, with the capacity to train 4000 teachers a year.
Children begin primary education at six years old and it last eight years. Progression to the next year (or standard) is dependent on passing exams so it is not unusual for children to stay in primary education until their late teens. Entry to secondary education is dependent on a good pass in the final primary education and all secondary schools charge fees.
Henry Henderson Institute is a typical urban primary school. The school was set up in 1909 and has strong Scottish connections. It is regarded as one of the better primary schools in Blantyre, but these comparisons are relative. There are an average of 70 pupils per class, it has barely any text books and there is only one small toilet block for the whole school.